NORAD Tracks Santa

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The NORAD Tracks Santa program has been around for a long time--since 1955 to be exact! We believe that Santa Claus is alive and well in the hearts of people throughout the world.

Starting December 1st, countdown to Santa's flight at www.noradsanta.org. Beginning at 2:00a.m. MST on December 24th, you can track Santa live as he takes his historical journey around the world and watch videos from NORAD Santa Cams of Santa and his reindeer!

Background Information:
For more than 50 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa’s flight.

The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement misprinted the telephone number for children to call Santa. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline." The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.

In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, which then took on the tradition of tracking Santa.

Since that time, NORAD men, women, family and friends have selflessly volunteered their time to personally respond to phone calls and emails from children all around the world. In addition, we now track Santa using the internet. Millions of people who want to know Santa's whereabouts now visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website.

Finally, media from all over the world rely on NORAD as a trusted source to provide updates on Santa's journey.

In Memory of Retired Colonel Harry Shoup, NORAD's First Santa Tracker

September 29, 1917 - March 14, 2009

The NORAD Tracks Santa program is made possible by volunteers and through the generous support of corporate licensees who bear virtually all of the costs.